On the Rooftop
by Mrs.GaleHawthorne
Summary: Gale decided to watch the games from the rooftop of the Mellark's bakery. There he's greeted by someone he hadn't expected to see. Madge Undersee. He also hadn't expected her to save his life. And he also hadn't expected to fall in love with her.


**Disclaimer: I don't own _The Hunger Games_ or any of it's characters. **

**A/N: My first Gadge fic! YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! I love Gadge. They're the best couple ever. Like for infinity. And beyond. Anyways, enjoy. **

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"Gale, we're going to the square to watch the games. Do you wanna come with us or do you want to stay here?"

"I'm gonna stay here."

"You sure?"

"Yes, Ma, I'm sure."

"Ok."

….

Gale didn't want to go to the square with his family to watch the games for lots of reasons. The main one being he was sick of people looking at him like he was a bomb waiting to blow. He was sick of all the sympathetic looks and sorry faces. He was sick of people pitying him. It was the last thing he needed right now. The second reason was this; Madge Undersee. She always went to the square to watch the games on her father's behalf, and Gale hated her. Not just because she was from the town and he had hated her before Katniss went into the Games. He hated her even more now, because she actually knew what he was going through. She and Katniss were friends, and Gale knew that. But it bugged the crap out of Gale that a girl from the town knew what he was going through. She knew how vulnerable he was.

Gale switched on the TV and sat down on the couch mentally preparing himself for every worst case scenario possible. The second he saw what was going on in the Arena he wanted to puke. Katniss being ripped to shreds was one thing but her kissing a boy she barely knew was another. Gale didn't know what was worse, Katniss dying or acting like a "star-crossed lover". Actually Gale did know, the former was worse, but the latter sucked too. He was glad he had decided to stay home today. God knows he didn't want to have to put up with anyone right now, and he also didn't want to risk letting people know just how much he hated Peeta. Gale had a reputation to keep up, and he didn't want it to be ruined by the fact he hated the Mellark boy. Everyone would just think he was a jealous bastard. It was true, but that doesn't mean everyone has to know.

He watched Katniss and Peeta for close to three minutes and then he couldn't take it anymore. He needed to get out. Gale threw on his hunting jacket and dashed out the door not caring about the fact he left the TV on. He wanted to go to the woods, but he tried not to go to the woods unless it was necessary, because it brought back so many memories of Katniss. He loved the woods. He just didn't like being in the woods alone. He didn't want to go to the Hob, because there was too many people, same thing with the square. But before Gale knew it he found himself walking on the outskirts of town and decided to watch the games from somewhere no one could see him. The screen that everyone watched the games on was hung from the Justice Building and across from there was the Mellark's bakery. Gale knew no one was there and figured he might as well go to the roof and watch. He climbed swiftly up the fire escape at the back of the bakery. It was one of the few building that actually had a fire escape, because of all the big ovens inside.

As Gale reached the top he was greeted by someone who he was very shocked to see. Madge Undersee. She was sitting with her legs crossed on the cold rooftop doing exactly what Gale wanted to be doing, watching the games alone, but at the same time, not alone. He mentally had a war with himself to decide whether to stay or to go. In the end he decided to stay. He sat down next to the Undersee girl as quietly as possible.

"What are you doing here, Gale?" Madge asked with a sigh. She was more aware of what was going on around her than Gale had thought.

"The same thing you're doing, Undersee. Watching the games," he replied.

"Why aren't you watching it with the rest of your family in the square?" she asked.

"Why do you ask so many questions?"

Madge rolled her eyes and so did Gale.

"I technically only asked two, one of which you didn't answer to."

"I'm aware, Undersee," Gale said and added, "And I didn't feel like watching the games with my family so I'm not."

"Okay," Madge replied. She figured it was best to just drop the subject.

They turned their attention back to the screen where Peeta and Katniss were still kissing and giggling up a storm. Gale found it all very annoying, but Madge on the other hand was too naive to think that Katniss was just acting. Madge was sure it was all very real and Katniss was madly in love with The Boy With the Bread. Katniss begins to tell the story of how she and Gale got Prim's goat and Gale scoffs as she tells Peeta they got the money from one of her mother's old necklaces.

Madge looked at him with a raised eyebrow.

"She didn't really get the money from a necklace. Katniss and I sold a deer," Gale explained. Gale tried to act like it didn't bother him that she left him out of the story, but it did. And Madge could tell.

"She was probably just trying to protect you," Madge said softly. "Hunting is illegal after all."

"I don't need protecting," Gale said coldly. Madge sighed.

"You might be able to fool everyone else into thinking you're as hard as a rock, but you and I both know you're not. You're so in love with Katniss you can't even watch the games with you own family, because it kills you to know she's in love with someone else," she said. Gale tensed and got up.

"She not in love with him, it's all fake," Gale replied. Madge stood up too and shook the dirt off of her blue dress. Gale couldn't help but notice that the dress matched the color of her eyes.

"Get over it, Gale. She doesn't love you. She never has and she never will. You're her friend, nothing more."

Gale didn't have a reply to that, because everything Madge had said was true. he didn't want to believe it, but it was true.

Madge felt victorious knowing just how hard she had hit Gale in the heart. She had always known Gale had loved Katniss, and was shocked at how blind Katniss was as to not see it. She looked at Gale and noticed that he was standing dangerously close to the edge of the building. The feeling of victory left her and a knot grew in her stomach. Maybe she should've kept her mouth shut.

"Gale, back up. You could fall," Madge said carefully. Gale didn't move.

"I could just jump. If I jumped I wouldn't have to deal with anyone or anything anymore," he replied. His voice sounded dead.

"That's crazy, Gale. Your family needs you. Katniss needs you," she coaxed as she grabbed his hand. Gale pulled his hand out of her grip and moved closer to the edge.

"You said it yourself, Undersee. Katniss loves Peeta, she doesn't need me."

"Damn it, Gale! Just because she doesn't love you, doesn't mean she doesn't need you!"

"She needs Peeta, not me. She doesn't need me. She never has needed me. She'll never need me." The more Gale said it out loud the more he convinced himself it was true. The more he convinced himself, the more he wanted to jump.

"Gale, that's not true. And what about Posy? And Rory, and Vick and your mom? They need you too!"

"They'll survive without me."

"No, they won't, Gale! You know they won't. They need you."

"No they don't, Madge. No one needs me."

"I need you, Gale! Don't you dare jump, because I need you!"

Gale turned to look at her. She was fighting back tears. Madge had never thought she would actually say that to Gale Hawthorne. But she did, and she didn't regret it. Not for one second. Gale fell to his knees and put his head in his hands. He was crying. I took Madge a minute to process that Gale Badass Hawthorne was actually crying.

He never cried. Ever.

Madge kneeled in front of him and wrapped her arms around his neck. At first she though Gale was going to shove her away but for the first time since his father's death Gale allowed himself to be comforted. It felt nice to be hugged for once. And it felt nice to know people would care if Gale Hawthorne killed himself.

Gale had always known he couldn't keep up his bad boy act forever, but he never thought it would be Madge Undersee to break him. He never thought it would be Madge that comforted him. He never thought he would let Madge comfort him.

"She needs you, Gale. Trust me when I say that," Madge said. Gale nodded and pressed the heel of him palm to his eyes.

"I know," he replied.

"Good," Madge said.

Gale and Madge turned their attention back to the screen where Katniss was now giving Peeta sleep medication so that she could go to the "Feast" without him knowing.

"Did you mean it?" Gale asked a few minutes later.

"Did I mean what?" Madge replied, confused.

"Do you really need me?"

"Of course I do," she said and got up.

Gale smiled. He liked being needed. It made him feel useful.

Madge started walking towards the fire escape, but before making her way down the stairs, she turned and said to Gale, "No one else brings me strawberries."

And then she left.

Gale sat on the roof watching the games until he saw his family starts walking home. He managed to get home before everyone else. And as Gale lay awake in bed that night he realized something. He was in love with Madge Undersee.

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